The 90s gave us the ultimate superhero comic movies. They were dark, gritty, and unlike anything that gets spit out these days. One of the absolute most beloved – and saddest – comic book movies was 1994s The Crow. While we could go on about the tragedy that happened on set, we’re going to look back at another actor, Rochelle Davis.
She was the youngest member of the cast, but Rochelle’s character played an important complement to Brandon Lee’s Eric. Let’s see how Rochelle handled the fame and attention from appearing in the critically acclaimed yet haunting film.
Early life
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 14th, 1980, actress Rochelle Davis was born to a theatre actress mother and general businessman father.
Though her legal name at birth was Andrea Hunsberger, we couldn’t find why she changed it, so don’t ask. From the early age of three, Rochelle knew she wanted to act, thanks to tagging along with her mom when she went to act in the local theatre. By 12 years old, she landed a role in the legendary film The Crow.
The Crow
The 1994 cult film The Crow was a stunning masterpiece of cinema. One of the darkest superhero films, it was a breakout role for more than one actor. At fourteen years old by the film’s release, Rochelle Davis was among those that shot to fame. She portrayed character Sarah, a young girl whose relationship with Shelley and Eric led to him becoming her protector.
Rochelle wasn’t the only young hopeful looking to be in a superhero movie. When she was 12, she auditioned against 1,500 other young women over the course of four months to grab the role of Sarah. Talk about a determined child.
Her time with Brandon Lee
Though she only worked with Brandon Lee for a short few months, the effect of the incident has always stayed with her. And rightly so, as she was only 13 when the movie was being filmed. Losing Brandon on set in such a way, at an impressionable age, caused Davis to step away from acting for a decade and a half. She tried to reset and find any sort of normal while rejecting part after part that was being offered due to her new-found fame.
What did she do after The Crow?
As soon as the movie wrapped, Rochelle took the time to just live life. She turned to art as her form of therapy, focusing on photography and abstract art.
It took her 15 years to return to acting, and even then, it was only for smaller parts in independent films. Her first time back on screen was in 2009 for the horror film Hell House where she played the detective. Davis took another small break before she starred in another horror film in 2016, titled Grotesque, where she played Alera. She took another small break until 2020 when she was in the – you guessed it – horror film Revenge of the Devil Bat, where she portrayed Mrs. Layton. You may have noticed the theme for Rochelle since her return to acting.
Rochelle not only started appearing on screen again, but in good news for the fans, she decided to join the convention circuit. For years after the movie came out, Davis would deny she was Sarah and distance herself as much as possible from the movie. But Davis found the courage to celebrate her time on The Crow with fans, starting with the smaller Cornwall & Aera Pop Event in April 2018.
What is Rochelle Davis doing now?
(photo)
It seems Rochelle is just as thankful for the conventions now as the fans are. She was a guest at five conventions in 2022 and has one already scheduled for May 2023. In April 2020, Davis also joined Cameo to give fans of her and The Crow another way to feel connected.
If that isn’t enough for you Crow-obsessed people, Rochelle started a YouTube channel about four years ago titled, The Crow’s Nest With Rochelle. Though her time on the film heavily influences her videos, it’s not all she discusses.
As for upcoming projects, Davis has a few movies in the works. She will appear in the sci-fi film Die, Daisy, Die! as Daisy Derkins 2013, which is currently in production. But don’t worry, Rochelle is making another return to the horror genre. She will play Nattie in the horror thriller Ill, which is also in production.
Personal life
As far as her personal life goes, Rochelle is single and has one child, a son named Destin Michael, who was born in October 2003.
Going through the tragedy the cast did on The Crow has led to most of them keeping in touch all these decades later. Rochelle still talks with the still photographer for the movie, Robert Zuckerman, Ernie Hudson of Ghostbusters fame who played Sergeant Daryl Albrecht, Tony Todd, who played Grange and went on to play Candyman, and Michael Wincott, who played Top Dollar. A few years ago, Davis reconnected with Brandon’s mother, Linda, which helped to heal some of the pain of the past.
These days Rochelle is living in Pennsylvania, making her videos, and being active on social media. In November of 2022, Rochelle adopted out her pet pig Gunther to a neighboring farm sanctuary when she became unable to care for him, due to her disability and living conditions.
We wish all of the healing, health, and happiness for Rochelle as she continues her journey, no matter where her path takes her. And hopefully, that leads to a reunion with the cast for the 30th anniversary of The Crow in 2024.
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